One final experiment? Unpicking Tuchel's latest England squad
England head coach Thomas Tuchel's decision to name an expanded 35-man squad for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan at Wembley has afforded him room to experiment before this summer's World Cup. It has meant a recall for forgotten men such as Manchester United's Harry Maguire and Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with in-form Everton midfielder James Garner also winning his first call-up. While offering the chance for some who may have thought their England careers were over to restate their case, Tuchel's squad for the games against Uruguay on Friday, 27 March and Japan on Tuesday, 31 March also underscores some serious dilemmas he faces as the World Cup countdown continues.
Calvert-Lewin's England recall is testament to the striker's self-belief and desire to emerge from the dark times of seasons when he struggled with injury. When he spoke of renewed England ambitions after completing a free transfer from Everton to Leeds United in the summer, eyebrows were raised at both his optimism and whether Tuchel would ever seriously feel the need to call on him. Now, Calvert-Lewin's rejuvenation and continued fitness at Elland Road has prompted a return for the 29-year-old, who won 11 caps and made his last appearance in July 2021 when he played 17 minutes off the bench against Ukraine at the delayed Euros.
Calvert-Lewin deserves huge credit for his persistence - but his call-up also underscores a huge concern for England and Tuchel. That worry is the massive drop-off in proven quality at international level should any misfortune befall England captain and record goalscorer Harry Kane. Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins was long considered the deputy, scoring the winner in the Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands, but his patchy club form means he is not even included in this squad.
Tottenham Hotspur's Dominic Solanke is the other striker, making his way back this season after several months on the sidelines with an ankle problem. Marcus Rashford could fill the role but is now used in the wider positions, while Anthony Gordon has played through the centre for Newcastle United without ever looking a neat fit. This demonstrates the alternatives to Kane - aged 32 but still in magnificent form for Bayern Munich - are worryingly thin for Tuchel and England.
Calvert-Lewin's inclusion is a heart-warming redemption tale, but Tuchel and England supporters must pray nothing happens to Kane, who has scored 78 goals in 112 appearances, or their World Cup hopes could be wrecked. 'What's meant for you won't pass you by' - Dominic Calvert-Lewin on Leeds and England Tuchel surely signalled the end of Trent Alexander-Arnold's World Cup hopes when he was excluded from England's latest squad, even with 35 players named and resources at right-back stretched. England's head coach has long appeared to hold misgivings about the 27-year-old Real Madrid star's defensive capabilities, as did predecessor Gareth Southgate, who ended up using Alexander-Arnold as a midfielder in a short-lived, failed experiment at Euro 2024.